"Smartphone and luxury digital camera into one" Xperia Pro-I developer interview (Junya Ishino)

"Xperia Pro-I" is equipped with a 1-inch sensor for the first time as an Xperia and aims for the image quality as a digital camera.While putting the same sensor as the "RX100 VII" called "RX100 VII", the functions that have been popular with Xperia so far, such as high -speed continuous shooting of α and high -speed AF/AE, are also inherited as they are.

Sony Xperia Pro-I (Amazon)

It can be said that the model is equipped with "VideoGraphy Pro" as a new app for video shooting.At the same time, "VLOG Monitor", which is used for video shooting, will be released.

The Xperia Pro-I, which had a great response, has also begun to exhibit a real machine at the Sony Store prior to its release.Same until December 15th of the release date.Many users have already made a reservation and have been waiting for the actual machine to arrive.We asked Sony's development members about the development of such Xperia Pro-I.From each episode, you can feel a strong commitment to Xperia Pro-I.

The following five people responded to the interview.

Sony Mobile Communications Business Division Planning Division Planning Division Takanori Yagi

Sony Imaging Products & Solutions Business Division System Software Technology Center Mobile Design Division Camera Design Department Kazuaki Iguchi

Sony Group Design Platform Creative Center Studio 3 Hibibita

Sony Mobile Communications Business Headquarters Design and Development Design Design Division Design Design Design Department Koji Izumi

Sony Group Design Platform Creative Center Studio 2 Yuto Ishizu

Developed on the premise of using it as a main smartphone

──First of all, please tell us how you have to launch Xperia Pro-I apart from the previous Xperia 1 series.

Yagi: There is an "Experience beyond imagination" as a vision of Xperia, but Xperia PRO-I embodies the vision by adding the area where Sony has strengthened and providing one and only value.Sony has an advantage in imaging, but from RX100 VII.The background of the development was to bring a type 0 sensor (to Xperia).I have examined various things as an option, but 1 as a product of the product.Bringing a 0 -type sensor was decided early.

─。 I think that the user assumed is different from Xperia, which has been the previous PRO.I also got the impression of the more the general public.

Mr. Yagi: As you say "I", we are aiming for imaging communities.Some of them have our α series.Many people have used α and use compact premium cameras as a second camera when they want to shoot guts.Xperia Pro-I is a proposal called a smartphone that is a new second camera.

It is true that the existing Xperia is larger, but I wanted to be able to use smartphones and high -end digital cameras together.By carrying a image quality (smartphone) like a high -end digital camera, you can play an active part in places where you did not intend to go to shoot.It is important to demonstrate the ability to shoot in various scenes, so we are particular about the compactness of the smartphone.

で す か Is it conscious of carrying around for Osaifu -Keitai?

Yagi: Yes.It was also assumed that this smartphone would be made to one.It is important that you can use your daily use firmly, and to have a shooting opportunity to increase the opportunity to shoot.

Some said, "You can show the thickness of the camera."

─。 The design around the camera is also unique compared to other Xperia.Is this the intention to emphasize the camera, or is it only here as a sensor size?

Hibi: The difficulty to reach this design was higher than the normal model.Rather than designing with conditions, I have been working in the third place with mechanical designs such as Ishizu and Izumi, including the path to create conditions.Among them, there is space efficiency, and smartphones must push the function into the small body.

The 1 -inch module was quite large at the beginning of the development, and it was difficult.In the end, it is placed in the middle to symbolize the performance that is not ashamed as a camera.The first Xperia 1 was also in the middle, but this is different from the recent Xperia.Although there is space efficiency, I thought about how to emphasize 1 inch.

で し ょ う Did the 1 -inch module, which was first large at first, could be miniaturized during the development process?

Mr. Yagi: We proceeded while being aware of the compact combination as thin as possible.The module is completely new, and it is considerable how thin it is.

Hibi: The thinning was a major proposition.Of course, we have verified whether the design will hold well, but in everyday use, we push it into the housing so that the user does not come off the range of the smartphone (parts).

で す Please tell us why you were able to make it thin.

Yagi: There are several.One is that the wide lens has a glass mold aspheric lens.I was able to make it thinly by turning it into glass.The camera was also newly made as a module, and was designed to make it thin.It also contributes to "thin shows" in design.

Hibi: Looking at the convex volume of the camera, it is unprecedented in Xperia as a main camera.Therefore, the camera is composed vertically in a vertical step, and it looks simply thinly.By attaching a taper to the frame processing and putting a wavy texture on the flat part, the line floats, and it looks thin when visually and visually.Compared to the Xperia 1 series, the actual size is 1mm thicker, but I think it was a successful impression that you would be surprised when you pick it up.

There were various directions, such as "I can show the thickness because it is a camera" and "the camera part can jump out more", but as Yagi mentioned earlier, the first one is not the second.I want you to have it as a terminal.It's not a normal smartphone, but it's not a camera, but I think it was a stinging presence on a gadget lover.

Reasons why 21 million pixels are not used up

──The sensor was not the same as the RX100 VII, but for smartphones.What kind of parts are optimized?

Yagi: I bring a sensor for the camera, but the processing is a high -performance processor of the smartphone.The first thing is to connect the camera sensor and a high -performance processor so that the processing unique to a smartphone can be done well.

How about pixels?I think the image sensor itself is 21 million pixels, but I don't think Xperia Pro-i does not create images in all of them.Why is this?

Mr. Yagi: It is true that the total pixel is 21 million pixels, while Xperia Pro-I records 12.2 million pixels.This is because I first thought about what to provide to customers.Xperia is an advantage, with the accuracy and speed of autofocus (AF), and it is necessary to provide the processing capacity unique to smartphones.When you think so, 12.2 million pixels are the best compatibility with speed performance.

In addition, the effective pixel is 12.2 million pixels, but this is the same as the conventional Xperia.Regarding resolution, 12.2 million pixels have almost no problem in general use.Even if you print in A3 size, you can earn about 300 dpi, so it is okay to narrow down to some extent (the number of pixels).Certainly, if you use all 21 million pixels, the resolution will increase, but the background of this specification is that it is better to take speed when it comes to resolution or auto focus speed.。

However, sensitivity and dynamic range depend on pixel pitch.1.Pixel pitch is 2 by bringing the type 0.It is 4 μm.Same as RX100 VII 1.By bringing a type 0, its sensitivity and dynamic range can be imported into (Xperia).

This time, not only 1 inch wide -angle cameras, but also ultra -wide -angle and 50mm standard cameras are installed.Why did you make a triple camera?

Yagi: Because smartphone cameras are used in various scenes.In everyday use, a 16mm ultra -wide angle is required.Also, 1st 1st.Even if the 0 type is inserted, it will deteriorate quite a bit if it is twice or tripled.It has the meaning of complementing such a place, and it includes 50mm.

──In Xperia 1 III has a variable telephoto and the focal length is longer, but why is Xperia Pro-I only 50mm?

Mr. Yagi: I hope you can recognize that the application is different.(Telephoto) is higher when shooting with a dedicated machine, so it is 50mm in the sense that the telephoto area is left to it and ensuring the quality within everyday use.50mm is relatively popular among lenses, as you can see from the "standard".

── For the main wide -angle camera, F2.0 and F4.It also has a function to switch 0.Please tell us why you adopted this function and how it was realized.

Mr. Yagi: The larger the sensor, the easier it will be blurred.There are scenes that are blurred more than necessary, so f4 to avoid blurring.I was able to switch to 0.F4.If it is 0, you can give a sense of depth and resolution.Because it is equipped with a large sensor, this function was required.

Mr. Iguchi: As for the realization method, you can understand if you look into the camera lens.It is realized by installing a circular aperture in the circle and switching it to high speed.Because it becomes a real round aperture, it is also an optical advantage.

で す ね When shooting, we use “Photography Pro”, but this app has been installed in conventional Xperia.Is there a difference unique to Xperia Pro-I?

Mr. Yagi: For UI -like differences (differences), the main is switching F -number.However, there are various evolution points in places that are not UI.The first is the AF cover rate, and it has been secured to some extent, but the Xperia Pro-I has become a very large area of 90%.This is a specialty of Pro-I.In addition, it is compatible with 12 -bit shooting, and the color range is rich.It's not software, but it's important to stick to shooting strap holes and shutter keys.I have been conscious of raising the overall operation feeling and feeling more α -like and camera.

Mr. Iguchi: We are particular about the qualitative part.The camera community strongly asks for image quality and AF.In order to respond to that request, I have adopted a lot of α technology.As one of them, the introduction of the front -end LSI has improved the image quality considerably.By applying noise reduction by hardware processing on RAW images, the image quality of low -lighting has improved significantly.

Similarly, AF ensures the accuracy and speed that was evaluated by Xperia 1 III, and used the AF signal processing of the front end LSI.The image sensor installed this time is based on the RX100 VII, but the front end LSI is α.By using image signal processing used for the camera, considerable improvements in accuracy have been achieved.

── means that there is a front -end LSI, and the image quality may be higher than RX100 VII.

Mr. Iguchi: The Xperia Pro-I combines image processing with a camera sensor, front-end LSI, and application processor.The image quality is equivalent to the RX100 series, or it exceeds it.

We are particular about "smooth zoom"

── Next, I will ask about video shooting.This time, a new app called "VideoGraphy Pro" is installed.Until now, Xperia had an app called "Cinematography Pro", but please tell us the difference from that and the aim of equipped with VideoGraphy Pro.

Mr. Yagi: As the name implies, Cinematogram PRO is a function for cinematographers.After thinking about what kind of scene I wanted to shoot at the time of shooting, I was aiming for those who knew the workflow to edit after shooting.I think that those who keep using it are limited.

On the other hand, VideoGraphy Pro is a function that can be taken immediately and can be used by a wide range of people, such as those who create content.In that sense, ISO, shutter speed, etc. can be displayed on the screen and edited so that the content can be firmly created, but it can also be switched to auto.These parameters can be understood during auto shooting.

──Photographhy Pro was based on α UI, but is VideoGraphy Pro any original?

Mr. Iguchi: I did not bring the UI of a commercial video camera directly, but the essence is brought from "XDCAM".Yagi said that Yagi would like to make it use to content creators of a wide genre, but during development, many creators were interviewed and observed the shooting site.As a result, the concept is that one shooting result will affect the next site, and the concept is that the shooting will not fail and the intuitive and easy -to -understand UI.

Sony accumulates knowledge with a commercial video camera, so it's a shortcut to take advantage of it.For this reason, we are built with support from app development leaders who have experience developing commercial cameras.During the shooting, I was able to make the setting change flexible and simple, thinking about being particularly concerned.

──In the impression I tried on the actual machine, I felt that the zoom was very smooth, and the magnification did not rise or dropped like a general smartphone, so I felt it was easy to use.Is there any ingenuity here?

Mr. Iguchi: It is a special feature we incorporated for video creators and utilize the know -how of the commercial video camera XDCAM.The specifications of the general zoom accelerate according to the movement, and the magnification increases rapidly.There are advantages of high -speed zoom in still image shooting, but there are problems with control in video shooting.

Therefore, the first usability of the zoom bar was introduced.At a flat speed when tilted, it moves faster when tilted greatly.In the implementation phase, applications and zooms are made in -house.The standard API had a limit when moving smoothly, so the app developer and the camera developer co -ified.It is important to be intuitive to the UI operation, and this part took a considerable amount of time and developed it as an app engineer and a zoom engineer.

─ There is an engineer specializing in zoom.This time, VLOG Monitor used in conjunction with VideoGraphy Pro will also be released.Please tell us why you developed such peripheral devices.

Yagi: As a market, the VLOG market is rapidly expanding.Those who shoot VLOG use a smartphone front camera when shooting themselves, but if you are not satisfied, you will move to a premium compact camera or α.This time, the rear is equipped with a high -performance camera, so I would like you to use this to take high quality.If you take a selfie with a front camera, there will be a difference in image quality from taking a picture that is not a selfie.Of course, the image quality is good when taking a selfie, but 1.It is very important to be able to shoot all content with a type 0 sensor, and we have proposed it to achieve it.

VLOG Monitor released as a peripheral device

The specification is made with a magnet, but why did it become such a specification?

Izumi: The specification was unprecedented.I was aware of the mobility and expandability, the needs and the gaps of the eyes of wanting to take a picture by tilting.We propose such a configuration by clicking, including mobility.There is a relationship that is too thick to be put into a camera, and there is also a particular commitment to thinning.The folder was successfully bitten between the fingerprint authentication buttons and the shortcut keys, and developed while being aware of the center of gravity.

Ishizu: As the position that can be sandwiched is limited, I want to put the screen to the camera as much as possible and eliminate the gaze shift.The characters such as the UI number display, the battery level, and the "REC" are also on the right, so that the eyes are approaching the camera.

In addition, the design was clean by making it a magnet.The clamps have been published in the past, but they are made of aluminum and gazed to match the Xperia Pro-I dignity.

Izumi: In general, if it is a sharpened aluminum, it will be heavy, but we are also particular about lighter.

Ishizu: You can buy a clamp that has cut out aluminum online, but Sony is unique.It is one of these commitments that the axis inside is not visible even if pulled.

──I think VLOG Monitor is common to use in a set with shooting grip, but this is not a dedicated one.Why.

Mr. Yagi: Because we made it carefully to connect with the camera world.The grip is for α, but it is also connected to Xperia.It is an advantage that you have a dedicated device so far that you can keep using it as it is.I'm used to it.By the way, it is a grip for α, but by pressing the "C1" button, you can switch between three eyes.

This is the end of the interview

Xperia Pro-I is packed with Sony's unique commitment, but the size is in the category of smartphones.I think I was able to make it thicker like a camera, but I heard that it was aimed at what I could usually use, so I was convinced of the specifications.While there are considerable construction in terms of image quality, it is also a point that AF speed and continuous shooting like α, like the previous Xperia, are installed.It can be said that it is a terminal made not only for high -quality image quality, but also for the experience of shooting itself.

Xperia, which was evaluated for the good shooting experience, seems to be highly evaluated that it has the image quality of high -end digital camera without impairing its strengths.In addition, by installing VideoGraphy Pro as a new function, it is easier to shoot videos.We hope that this feature will be used as standard in the future Xperia, as it is likely to be accepted by a wide range of people.

Xperia Pro-I (Amazon)

A professional photographer reviews Xperia Pro-I.1 inch room and high -speed AF are attractive